Humpback whales
On the dock we learned that a group of humpback whales had had been bubble feeding open (otherwise called lunge feeding) just by the pier while we were watching the zip line. Then we could see a couple of whale watching boats hovering around a few hundred yards from the shore.
A quick dash to our cabin and I had replaced by lens with a telephoto lens. Then I was back out on the pier watching along with a small group of passengers for more whales.
While we waited there was an eagle sitting on the dock where the ships bow was moored. The eagle just sat there watching the water.
Then we saw whale spouts no where near the watching boats as the group of whales surfaced again. I counted at least six separate spouts. Then the whales dived again and appeared to be moving further away and to our left towards the town of Hoonah.
For the next 30 minutes also we watch the group moving around, diving and returning to the surface. Then they started to come closer to the ship and came up right in front of us by the bow of the ship.
There was a frustrating delay through security and then I was out on Deck 7. The group of whales had dived again after another lunge feeding just off the ship.
I tried to follow them as they swam past the ship, but Island Princess has ‘lost’ a good portion of the Promenade Deck. I then dashed up to Deck 8 aft to try and follow the whales as they moved further away. The whales continued there regime of diving and surfacing as they progressed away from the ship. They looked to be very close to the shore after some of their dives.
